Heart of Stone
One of the Hearts of the World, it has recently been recovered from within Duaurum's body, and is in the posession of Ragdar. Though it is a Heart, and was found on Kanglial, it was not one of the Five Hearts that the ancient heroes used to overthrow the Dark Lord the first time. It was used after the battle to help transform the Kanglial region into a containment system for the Dark Lord. History Though it's early history is unkown, it comes back into recent history by a discovery of an accquaintance of Duaurum, who found it deep within a cave system under the island's Darkling mountains. It was found affixed to a stone wall, surrounded by arcane markings that, when looked at as a whole from afar, reselbled a giant. The markings were a spell to sink the excess negative emotional energies of the islanders to the Heart, so as to keep the people on the Island, which served as a containment system for the Dark Lord, passified.However, the Heart of Stone's energy absorbtion abilities pertain to elemental, and not spiritual, energies, and when the psychic energies of anger and discontent were absorbed into the Heart, it became corrupted. Upon hearing of the finding of the Heart of Stone, Raqueterian General Abijit Kinley initiated a top secret military project to develop anti-magic weaponry through the Heart's ability to absorb unlimited energy. The primary magistician involved with the research was Duarum Alio, who's reputation for metamagic won him the position of R&D chief of the project, though its military significance was a secret kept by Kinley. When research began on the corrupted Heart of Stone, it bound to Duaurum, who unwillingly became the host of the Heart's violent needs. However, this changed when Duaurum was kidnapped by the Raqueterinan Shadowhand, lead by General Kinley, who initiated a ritual to purify the heart of negative energies for their own means. Fortunately, the Heroes managed to infiltrate the ritual chamber before the completion of the ritual. In fighting against their foes, the ritual went awry, and nearly everyone was absorbed into a pocket dimension similiar to the Plane of Dreams, which had been created by the ritual to remove its negative energy. Fighting inside the pocket dimension, the heroes pushed the Other from the Heart of Stone into the Plane of Dreams, purifying the Heart of Stone to its origional condition. The Heart of Stone was then given by Duaurum to Ragdar, who has confinscated it in the name of Ne'Arkhosia. Powers & Influence The Heart of Stone represents matter, all that is physical, and the properties these represent. As the opposite of the Heart of Flame, which represents unlimited energy and offensive capabilities, the Stone represents that counter to this - the protective power to absorb unlimited energy. Spiritual Significance Protection and solidarity are spiritual atributes of the Heart of Stone. As a mountain will remain after a forest fire, and boulder can provide protection to wonderers and homebuilders alike, so too does the Heart of Stone seek to mitigate the offensive measures of enemies. Summons The Heart of Stone, when allied with another Heart, can call into being a powerful spirit. In conjunction with the following stones, the Heart of Stone can summon: * Darkness - Summon Shadow Ape. Mass combined with vicious selfishness allows the conjuration of this bestial primate. * Dust - Summon Ash Beast. Similar to the Magma Beast summoning, this is the creature who survives even catyclysmic events. * Flame - Flameheart Defender. The ability to protect his allies is all this passionate spirit needs. * Forest - Summon Fierce Boar. These allied Hearts summon a great protector of the wilderness. * Light - Summon Celestial Lion. These Hearts call the very defender of light and nobility. * Sky - Summon Stone Beetle. Similar to its cousin, the Fire Beetle, this hardy insect can fly, dispite its density.